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‘Lost chance’ in Whitehall’s unused £6bn

July 23 2012, 1:01am, The Times

Treasury documents show that Whitehall departments needed £364 billion in the past financial yearPaul Rogers for The Times

Whitehall departments spent £6 billion less than expected this year, with three ministries responsible for pushing growth unable to spend about half a billion pounds each of the money they were allocated, according to the latest Treasury accounts.

Money put aside for infrastructure was also left unused, with Whitehall spending £2.34 billion less on capital projects in 2011-12 than the £44.5 billion sum that was allocated.

Treasury documents released at the end of the parliamentary year show that Whitehall departments needed £364 billion in the financial year that ended in April. This is less than the £370.7 billion that the Treasury said it was setting aside last summer.

Ministers will be torn on the figures because, although reducing government spending is a key aim of…